A lesson in the dangers of complacency

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 5:18 pm (Writing by Ear)
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Never say your life is boring…it likely won’t be for long. Case in point:

December 20, 2011

Tastings Import Company
910 W. Van Buren Street, Suite 5000
Chicago, IL 60607-3557

Dear Sirs:

Please find enclosed a copy of the $5 rebate check for Funky Llama wine that you sent to me on 12/2/2011 and that I then cashed. Big mistake. Not only was the check returned by the bank, which charged my account the $5, it also charged me $12 for a returned check.

I tried to contact your company at 312-226-9438, only to find a recording that told me to call another number (847-733-7173) that is now disconnected.

I now have little hope of recouping my $17, but if an actual person receives this letter, why in God’s name did you even send the $5 check at all, months after I submitted the rebate information? Just like to mess with people during the holidays, do you?

I hope I am the only person dumb enough to painstakingly remove and send in a half-dozen wine labels to get a lousy $5 rebate that ended up costing me much more. On the other hand, how ironic, as I will need to drink a bottle or two of wine to relieve the absurdity of this situation.

Thanks a million — or at least $17.

Sincerely,

I made three calls to the bank trying to understand what had happened. It was made more puzzling by the fact that although I cashed the check, the bank arbitrarily charged my mother’s checking account, which I have my name on and handle for her, the $5 and $12 fees. (Ummmm, sorry Mom?) Actually, the $12 fee took a few days to appear, and the bank then earned my sincere gratitude for waiving the fee after I called for the third time and asked if there was anything they could do, under the circumstances. So, thank you for that, PNC Bank! I do appreciate it!

As for the rest of it…seriously. Have you had anything this absurd happen to you? Coincidentally, I have a $3 rebate check in my purse for something totally different that I am now afraid to cash. So much for pinching pennies. But I do think I’m going to go drink a glass of wine — just not Funky Llama.

If you wish to keep your affairs secret, drink no wine.
~ Author unknown

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Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da

Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 11:39 pm (Writing by Ear)
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Today at lunch, my friend said (I think only half jokingly) that he was going to take Writing by Ear out of his favorites because I don’t write enough anymore. He asked if I was bored with it.

No, I’m not. I just haven’t had anything to write about lately. Not that that’s always stopped me in the past, but even I don’t care enough to write about my life lately, let alone feel compelled to bore anyone else with it.

For example:

  • Joining the 21st century: I’m writing this on my new laptop — my latop, not one I share with Mike, which has been the case for the past 5 years. I feel a bit guilty because the old one still works fine, but I got tired of sharing it. So now we each have one to use…except…Mike got a new toy too — a tablet. He’s having fun using it, so now the old, perfectly good laptop is not being used. I feel wasteful (but I love my zippy new laptop). I also joined Facebook a short while back — I know, not exactly an early adopter. It’s been fun to reconnect with old grade school and high school folks. This whole “friend” (but not really) thing took me a while to get used to, but I think I’ve got the idea now.
  • Home life: Our evenings (which begin earlier and earlier because it’s dark at 4:30) consist of Mike on one end of the couch with his tablet and me on the other end with my laptop (dual recliners, don’t you know — could we be any more suburban?) with a cat or two curled up with me or on me. Somewhere between 9:00 and 11:00, I get at least an hour of sleep in before bedtime.
  • Christmas: Shopping done, decorating done, cookies done…nothing exciting there. Looking forward to seeing my family next week, as always.
  • House projects: Mike’s making good progress on the sunroom (I think we’re moving into year 3, but I’ve lost track). Someday I’ll have awesome pictures to post…but not yet.
  • Work: I’ve been busy this year, and I’m grateful that despite the still down economy, I did OK and have a nice project load to carry me into 2012. Truly thankful for this.

Are you bored yet? Told you. I’m having trouble thinking of even boring things to write about…which, when you think about is, is quite a luxury. Life may not be exciting lately, but it’s perfectly fine…and so am I.

But enough about me. What’s new with you?

In three words I can sum up everything
I’ve learned about life. It goes on.
~Robert Frost 

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The Dessert Debate

Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at 10:40 am (Writing by Ear)
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Ahhhh, dessert.

In my world, you know it’s a special meal when there’s actually dessert. We don’t have it very often, especially dessert that’s prepared specifically for a meal, rather than just a cookie or something you happen to have in the house. (And, by the way, fruit is not a dessert.)

So what’s the debate? When the dessert happens.

In my family, we eat dessert well after the meal is finished — at least an hour after and sometimes 2 or 3 hours later, with coffee, of course. After napping, taking a walk, playing cards or a game. That way, we’re free to eat way too much for dinner before starting all over again with dessert.

In Mike’s family, dessert happens immediately. You eat your last bit of mashed potatoes, and then there’s cake, pie, ice cream — whatever — to contend with. More of a sigh than a yum. (Oh, and they’re not coffee people, so there’s that, too…)

To me, it’s just plain wrong. To Mike and my niece’s husband, waiting for dessert is just wrong.

I can see the cons of “our” way — frequently it seems you just got the dishes and leftovers all dealt with and put away and now it’s time to trot out more dishes, silverware, cups and make another mess with dessert. But the cons with the other way is that you don’t really even want dessert after you just ate a big meal. Hard to really savor it.

So, what’s your way?

This Thanksgiving, we’ll be waiting for apple-berry pie with cheddar crust and/or pumpkin pie at my sister’s house, much to Mike’s and my nephew’s chagrin. I hope your desserts are just as wonderful — whenever you eat them.

Pie…it fills the cracks of the heart. Go away, pain.
~ Kevin James (Mall Cop)

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